ControlPad
USB/MIDI Percussion pad controller

The Alesis Control Pad USB/MIDI Percussion Controller is a compact (carry under oneÕs arm) percussion pad controller that is equally at home as a performance instrument and as a MIDI programming tool for studio recording. The Control Pad features 8 velocity sensitive pads with gum rubber surfaces for excellent stick response as well as two trigger inputs for connecting external pads such as the Alesis Drum Pad and Cymbal Pad expansion kits. Further, there are two switch pedal inputs to accommodate open and closed hi-hat as well as kick drum. Percussion setups are stored to internal memory and are accessible via MIDI Program Change commands. In addition to being USB bus-poweredÑeliminating the need for an external power supply while connected to a computerÑthe Control Pad includes an AC adapter for use without a computer.

The Control Pad is a compact drum/percussion system that functions equally well as a recording tool and as an on stage electronic Òtrap tableÓ. It is a Òmust haveÓ item for serious recording musicians and a valuable tool for percussionists seeking to Òlighten the loadÓ in terms of the number of accessory instruments they carry.

Applications
The Alesis Control Pad is limited only by the sound sources connected to it. As a MIDI controller, it can trigger samplers (sampled sounds and sampled sound effects), drum machines, and synthesizers. Melodic percussion (mallet instruments such as vibes and marimba) can be played by assigning the desired MIDI note numbers to the controllerÕs various pads. The Alesis Control Pad is perfect for the following applications
> Programming of drum and percussion parts with a MIDI sequencer
> Studio recording
> Live performanceÑprimarily as an expander instrument for shakers, congas, bongos, etc.
_ USB/MIDI drum controller for studio or live use
_ 8 high-quality velocity-sensitive percussion pads
_ 2 trigger inputs for connecting external pads (compatible with the Alesis Drum Pad and Cymbal Pad expansion kits)
_ 2 switch pedal inputs
_ Up/down footswitch input
_ USB Plug-and-Play connectivity (no drivers necessary)
_ USB bus-powered (no power supply necessary when
connected to a computer)
_ PC and Mac compatible
_ MIDI I/O
_ Pad sensitivity adjustment
_ Stores MIDI setups with program change capability
_ Power adapter included for use without a computer

The Controller's up/down footswitch input lets players change styles fluidly and quickly. For example, a player can move from an elaborate conga, bongo, and shaker setup to a marimba or trap set in seconds. Similarly, the Control Pad's 20 percussion setups stored to internal memory are accessible via MIDI Program Change commands.

In the studio and live, the Pad is USB plug-and-play ready, integrating perfectly with Mac and PC desktop recording systems. Its intuitive interface allows quick editing and easy user setup. This versatile instrument also is USB bus-powered, eliminating the need for an external power supply while connected to a computer.

For interfacing with dedicated hardware such as sound modules, samplers, or hardware-based sequencers, the Control Pad provides MIDI input/output connectors, and the AC power adapter (included) powers the Control Pad when it is used without a computer. It's also bundled with BFD Lite software containing professional-quality acoustic and electric drum modules. BFD Lite enhances the Pad's functionality with several features including multi-velocity kits with customizable drum sounds, microphone mixing, and preset grooves. The Control Pad is also compatible with other software such as Propellerhead's Reason, which gives musicians additional sound options.

BFD offers a library of seven high quality drumkits recorded with multiple microphones through racks of expensive preamps and converters. Stereo overhead, room and PZM mics capture natural ambience alongside close direct mics on the kit for the dry sound. The kits are recorded with up to 46 velocity layers, with multiple articulations for kicks, snares, hihats and cymbals.

Built around a custom disk-streaming engine, BFD delivers the power of an 18-piece customisable drumkit directly into your sequencer as multiple-channel, high quality 24 bit audio. The recordings are raw and unprocessed, with the pluginÕs routing and mixing system allowing you total freedom to tweak the sound of the kit in a variety of ways before adding additional processing in your sequencerÕs mixer. BFD also includes a flexible automated drummer, to deliver realistic drum performances on demand.

Virtually all plugin formats for Mac OSX and Windows are provided in the box. BFD can also can function as a ReWire slave or standalone application.

BFD System Requirements:
1 GHz Pentium III or Athlon (Windows)
Apple PowerMac G4, OSX 10.2.8 733 MHz (G4 1.2 GHz recommended) (MacOSX)
512 MB of RAM (1GB Recommended)
DVD drive(For installation)
Windows 2000 or XP or MacOSX 10.2.8
9 GB of free hard disk space (Separate drive recommended)
These are MINIMUM specs for running BFD. Using BFD in conjunction with other software will increase your system requirenments.